15 hours ago
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
NAIRN COUNTY 0 – 1 BUCKIE THISTLE
SATURDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2025
STATION PARK, NAIRN
Goal Scorers: Lyall Keir (48′)
Ralph Sayer Man of the Match: Calum Mackay
Match Report by John Dolan
A goal three minutes into the second half from Buckie’s Lyall Keir was all that separated the sides in Saturday’s SHFL encounter at Station Park – just one of four games to beat the wintry conditions of the previous few days.
Wayne Mackintosh made one change from the side that beat Lossiemouth 3-1 in midweek: Callum Maclean coming in for captain Fraser Dingwall. Millar Gamble was given the captain’s armband.
Buckie were first to threaten, but Keir could only find the side netting with his shot after four minutes.
A minute later and the visitors went close again when Josh Peters unleashed a rocket of a shot that came back off the bar with Dylan Maclean beaten.
Peters again caused problems when he stepped on to a Keir pass, but his effort was blocked by Gamble.
County were almost in on goal in 16 minutes when Calum Mackay fed Gary Pullen, but Jags keeper Theo Simpson got enough in the way to deflect the danger.
Peters went on a fine run down the right, then did well to avoid a second challenge in the box, but having evaded the challenge he went on to drag his low drive across the face of the Nairn goal.
Maclean then pulled off a fine stop in 27 minutes, pushing a well-struck shot from Aaron Cumming around the post.
Buckie threatened again five minutes beore the break when Ryan Fyffe pulled the trigger 20 yards out, but it flew just over.
And in the last action of the half a back-header from Kevin Fraser played Cummings in, but Maclean read the danger well and was able to get to the ball first. (H-T 0-0.)
But three minutes after the restart, Buckie broke the deadlock with a well-worked move.
Cunningham trailed the ball across the front of the Nairn defence before threading a great ball inside defender Kenny Mackenzie for Ryan Fyffe to race onto. The Buckie man then played a superb delivery into the area where Keir timed his run perfectly to fire past Maclean.
Pullen almost had Nairn level in 61 minutes, but his shot took the slightest of deflections for a corner, as Simpson struggled to get across his goal.
A minute later, some slack defending let Ben Barron in from the left, but the big striker pulled his shot wide of the far post.
And at the other end, Harry Noble did likewise when he, too, cut in from the left.
However, in 70 minutes it took a fine save from Simpson to deny County an equaliser. Mackay found space down the left and put in a great cross, which found the head of subsitute Ben Kelly, but the keeper got down well to save.
However, Buckie really should have wrapped up the points, five minutes from time, when Marcus Goodall took advantage of some poor defending, but, with only Maclean in front of him, somehow failed to keep his effort on target.
Despite that bad miss, the visitors held out for all three points.
Overall, there was plenty attacking intent from both sides; however the Jags shaded it in terms of possession and scored a very good goal worthy of winning any game.
NAIRN COUNTY – Maclean, Carnihan (yellow 90+3), K. Mackenzie (Voigt 84), Gamble (c), Maclean, Eadie (As-Chainey 84), Mackay, Pullen (C. McKenzie 65), Barron, Brindle, Greig (Kelly 65). Substitutes not used – Dey, Bain, Munro (gk).
BUCKIE THISTLE – Simpson, McHardy, Morrison, Fraser, Peters (yellow 55) (Nicolson 64), Keir, Allen (Goodall 57), Fyffe, Paterson, Noble (Mackay 83), Cummings. Substitutes not used – Robertson, Morrison, Conway, Munro, Wood, Storrie (gk)
Referee – Ewan Pow.
A minute’s silence was observed before kick off in memory of Nairn County fan and former club sponsor Peter Gow.
The 65-year-old collapsed and died at Station Park on November 1 during the first half of the SHFL match with Brechin City, which was abandoned at half-time.
A minute’s applause was also taken in the 65th minute of Saturday’s game.
Match sponsor – Ashers Bakery.
